No Rite of Passage: Coming to Grips with Harassment and Bullying ...
No Rite of Passage: Coming to Grips with Harassment and Bullying ...
No Rite of Passage: Coming to Grips with Harassment and Bullying ...
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A supplement <strong>to</strong> School Board News<br />
National School<br />
Boards Association<br />
August 2006<br />
www.nsba.org/na<br />
When the Colorado state legislature<br />
was considering a<br />
proposal this year <strong>to</strong> repeal<br />
the state’s time limit for<br />
bringing sex abuse lawsuits, critics saw the<br />
proposal as opportunistic targeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Catholic church in the wake <strong>of</strong> headlines<br />
about sexual abuse by priests. On the<br />
advice <strong>of</strong> outside lobbyists, church leaders<br />
decided the best defense was a good<br />
<strong>of</strong>fense. So they attacked public schools.<br />
Focusing on the fact that Colorado<br />
provides public entities a degree <strong>of</strong> immunity<br />
from some state <strong>to</strong>rt claims, an open<br />
letter from Colorado bishops denounced<br />
the legal “double st<strong>and</strong>ard” for sexual<br />
abuse claims arising in public <strong>and</strong> private<br />
schools. The letter asserted, “Nationally,<br />
the evidence is now irrefutable that sexual<br />
abuse <strong>and</strong> misconduct against minors in<br />
public schools is a serious problem, in fact,<br />
more serious than anywhere outside the<br />
home, including churches.”<br />
As a legal matter, the argument had its<br />
weaknesses, but this was a political matter,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the tactic probably helped persuade<br />
lawmakers <strong>to</strong> back <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
Among those weighing in on the Colorado<br />
debate was Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Charol Shakeshaft<br />
<strong>of</strong> H<strong>of</strong>stra University, whose 2004<br />
report for the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
suggested that roughly one in 10 pub-<br />
A Membership Benefit <strong>of</strong> NSBA National Affiliates<br />
<strong>No</strong> <strong>Rite</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Passage</strong>: <strong>Coming</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Grips</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Harassment</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Bullying</strong><br />
By Thomas Hut<strong>to</strong>n<br />
IN THIS ISSUE<br />
2Strong school board policies<br />
can help prevent bullying<br />
Insider<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL LAW &POLICY<br />
lic school children is a victim <strong>of</strong> sexual<br />
misconduct in school. Even the department<br />
distanced itself a bit from this conclusion,<br />
but the headlines the report generated<br />
were predictable.<br />
Meanwhile, an enormous school climate<br />
survey released this spring by the<br />
Urban Student Achievement Task Force<br />
<strong>of</strong> the NSBA Council <strong>of</strong> Urban Boards <strong>of</strong><br />
Education (CUBE) shed new light on bullying<br />
in schools. With responses from<br />
nearly 32,000 high school students in 15<br />
urban school districts, the survey found<br />
that more than 75 percent <strong>of</strong> students said<br />
they are not bullied during the school day.<br />
But 50 percent said they see other students<br />
being bullied at least once a month.<br />
More distressing, nearly half <strong>of</strong> the students<br />
expressed doubt that teachers really<br />
can s<strong>to</strong>p the behavior.<br />
The law is clear about a school district’s<br />
obligation <strong>to</strong> prevent harassment<br />
<strong>and</strong> take action when it occurs. And now<br />
parents <strong>and</strong> advocacy groups are delivering<br />
a loud message <strong>to</strong> school <strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>and</strong><br />
other policymakers that children should<br />
not have <strong>to</strong> endure ugly bullying at school<br />
as an inevitable rite <strong>of</strong> passage. They point<br />
out that students who are picked on are<br />
more likely <strong>to</strong> have trouble staying<br />
focused on learning.<br />
School boards <strong>and</strong> school boards associations<br />
have gotten the message <strong>and</strong><br />
have been busily tweaking codes <strong>of</strong> stu-<br />
5When can schools discipline<br />
students for cyber-bullying?<br />
National School Boards Association 1680 Duke Street, Alex<strong>and</strong>ria, VA 22314<br />
dent conduct, adopting or revising board<br />
policies, <strong>and</strong> approving new initiatives.<br />
<strong>Bullying</strong> has become a hot <strong>to</strong>pic for the<br />
politicians, <strong>to</strong>o, <strong>and</strong> many states have at<br />
least considered new legislation or other<br />
state action.<br />
This edition <strong>of</strong> Leadership Insider compiles<br />
viewpoints <strong>and</strong> resources about how<br />
school districts can address these problems.<br />
More resources are listed on page 12, <strong>and</strong><br />
links are collected on the NSBA National<br />
Affiliate website, www.nsba.org/na.<br />
School at<strong>to</strong>rney Kim Croyle leads <strong>of</strong>f<br />
<strong>with</strong> an overview <strong>of</strong> legal considerations<br />
related <strong>to</strong> harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying, as well<br />
as preventive tips. She outlines five key<br />
steps for school boards <strong>to</strong> ensure that their<br />
districts are acting prudently.<br />
On page 5, school at<strong>to</strong>rney Lisa Swem<br />
addresses a relatively new wrinkle for<br />
school leaders: cyber-bullying. She discusses<br />
the extent <strong>to</strong> which the First Amendment<br />
protects cyber-bullies <strong>and</strong> whether<br />
school <strong>of</strong>ficials can discipline them.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t everyone embraces the entirety <strong>of</strong><br />
the antibullying push. Wellesley College<br />
Senior Research Scientist Nan Stein <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
a somewhat more skeptical view on page<br />
4, at least as <strong>to</strong> certain aspects <strong>of</strong> the<br />
antibullying movement <strong>and</strong> what she sees<br />
as their risks. In particular, she warns<br />
against overreliance on a purely zero-<strong>to</strong>l-<br />
9How a divided community<br />
reached common ground<br />
See <strong>Bullying</strong> on page 12
2<br />
Insider<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL LAW & POLICY<br />
Leadership Insider, is published six times<br />
annually by NSBA’s National Education Policy<br />
Network <strong>and</strong> its Council <strong>of</strong> School At<strong>to</strong>rneys in<br />
cooperation <strong>with</strong> the National Affilate Program.<br />
Opinions expressed in <strong>and</strong> by Insider do not<br />
necessarily reflect positions <strong>of</strong> the National<br />
School Boards Association.<br />
Copyright 2006,<br />
National School Boards Association.<br />
President E. Jane Gallucci<br />
Executive Direc<strong>to</strong>r Anne L. Bryant<br />
Co-Edi<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
Staff At<strong>to</strong>rney<br />
Thomas Hut<strong>to</strong>n<br />
Manager, Federal <strong>and</strong> Policy Guidance<br />
Karla Schultz<br />
Direc<strong>to</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Publications<br />
Glenn Cook<br />
Managing Edi<strong>to</strong>r, National Affiliate Publications<br />
Ellie Ashford<br />
Direc<strong>to</strong>r, National Affiliate Program<br />
Gene Broderson<br />
Production Manager<br />
Carrie E. Carroll<br />
Production Assistant<br />
Donna J. Ernst<br />
Leadership Insider is printed <strong>and</strong> assembled<br />
by the NSBA Office Services Printshop<br />
About NSBA<br />
The National School Boards Association is the<br />
nationwide advocacy organization for public<br />
school governance. NSBA’s mission is <strong>to</strong> foster<br />
excellence <strong>and</strong> equity in public elementary<br />
<strong>and</strong> secondary education in the United States<br />
through local school board leadership. Founded<br />
in 1940, NSBA is a not-for-pr<strong>of</strong>it federation<br />
<strong>of</strong> state associations <strong>of</strong> school boards <strong>and</strong> the<br />
school boards <strong>of</strong> the District <strong>of</strong> Columbia,<br />
Hawai‘i, <strong>and</strong> the U.S. Virgin Isl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
About the National Affiliate Program<br />
The National Affiliate Program extends NSBA’s<br />
services directly <strong>to</strong> local school districts.<br />
School districts are eligible <strong>to</strong> join provided<br />
they are members in good st<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> their<br />
state school boards associations.<br />
About the Council <strong>of</strong> School At<strong>to</strong>rneys<br />
The Council <strong>of</strong> School At<strong>to</strong>rneys provides information<br />
<strong>and</strong> practical assistance <strong>to</strong> at<strong>to</strong>rneys<br />
who represent public school districts. It <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
legal education, specialized publications, <strong>and</strong><br />
a forum for exchange <strong>of</strong> information, <strong>and</strong> it<br />
supports the legal advocacy efforts <strong>of</strong> the<br />
National School Boards Association.<br />
LEADERSHIP INSIDER / August 2006<br />
Maintaining Respectful Schools<br />
What your school board needs <strong>to</strong> know about<br />
preventing <strong>and</strong> responding <strong>to</strong> harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying<br />
By Kim Croyle<br />
It’s a dewy summer morning. You take<br />
your newspaper <strong>and</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee outside <strong>to</strong><br />
enjoy <strong>and</strong> are confronted <strong>with</strong> a frontpage<br />
headline like one <strong>of</strong> these—real<br />
ones:<br />
• <strong>Bullying</strong> by Students Faces Greater<br />
Scrutiny; Lawsuit against District Illustrates<br />
New Look at Old Behavior<br />
• U.S. Teen Harassed By Schoolmates<br />
Who Thought He Was Gay Wins<br />
$440,000 Settlement<br />
• Lawsuit: <strong>Bullying</strong> Wrecked Girl’s Life<br />
• Lawsuit Claims School Was Indifferent<br />
<strong>to</strong> <strong>Bullying</strong> <strong>of</strong> Student <strong>with</strong> Disability<br />
<strong>No</strong>thing can prepare you for the dismay<br />
you feel when your school system is<br />
the subject <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> these s<strong>to</strong>ries—let<br />
alone one <strong>of</strong> these lawsuits. But you can<br />
be prepared <strong>to</strong> ward <strong>of</strong>f such claims before<br />
they’re made. Here is some practical<br />
advice for underst<strong>and</strong>ing harassment <strong>and</strong><br />
bullying, preventing such behavior before<br />
it starts, <strong>and</strong> responding <strong>to</strong> complaints<br />
once they have been made—plus the consequences<br />
<strong>of</strong> failing <strong>to</strong> respond.<br />
What constitutes harassment?<br />
Simple question—right? <strong>No</strong>t really. As<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying has<br />
increased, the definition <strong>of</strong> what is, <strong>and</strong><br />
what is not, harassment continues <strong>to</strong><br />
spark debate.<br />
<strong>Harassment</strong> based on a person’s race,<br />
gender, ethnic background, religion,<br />
national origin, age, or disability is a form<br />
<strong>of</strong> discrimination prohibited by state <strong>and</strong><br />
federal laws. Discrimination against these<br />
“protected classes” is prohibited in places<br />
<strong>of</strong> employment <strong>and</strong> public accommodations,<br />
such as public schools. The statutes<br />
provide for administrative relief, as well as<br />
avenues <strong>to</strong> pursue monetary damages<br />
through a civil lawsuit. They set a stiff<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard for not only eliminating harassment<br />
once it’s started but preventing it<br />
from starting in the first place.<br />
In addition, the U.S. Equal Employment<br />
Opportunity Commission <strong>and</strong> the<br />
U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Education’s Office for<br />
Civil Rights investigate allegations <strong>of</strong><br />
harassment <strong>and</strong> discrimination <strong>and</strong> promulgate<br />
guidelines for investigating <strong>and</strong> preventing<br />
sexual <strong>and</strong> other types <strong>of</strong> harass-<br />
ment. Significantly, the EEOC cautions<br />
that:<br />
“Prevention is the best <strong>to</strong>ol <strong>to</strong> eliminate<br />
sexual harassment in the workplace.<br />
Employers are encouraged <strong>to</strong><br />
take steps necessary <strong>to</strong> prevent sexual<br />
harassment from occurring. They<br />
should clearly communicate <strong>to</strong><br />
employees that sexual harassment will<br />
not be <strong>to</strong>lerated. They can do so by<br />
providing sexual harassment training<br />
<strong>to</strong> their employees <strong>and</strong> by establishing<br />
an effective complaint or grievance<br />
process <strong>and</strong> taking immediate <strong>and</strong><br />
appropriate action when an employee<br />
complains.”<br />
<strong>No</strong>t only are school systems subject <strong>to</strong><br />
the Title VII prohibitions against sexual<br />
harassment, but Title IX prohibits discrimination<br />
on the basis <strong>of</strong> sex under any education<br />
program or activity receiving federal<br />
financial assistance.<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> Title IX’s m<strong>and</strong>ate, school<br />
systems must provide students <strong>with</strong> a<br />
nondiscrimina<strong>to</strong>ry educational environment.<br />
This applies <strong>to</strong> the elimination <strong>of</strong><br />
harassment, regardless <strong>of</strong> gender, as well as<br />
equality between the genders<br />
The U.S. Supreme Court also has<br />
determined that, in some instances, Title<br />
IX may be used as a mechanism for a private<br />
lawsuit. In Gebser v. Lago Vista Independent<br />
School District (1998), the<br />
Supreme Court found that a district would<br />
be liable for an employee’s harassment <strong>of</strong> a<br />
student when district <strong>of</strong>ficials knew <strong>of</strong> the<br />
harassment <strong>and</strong> failed <strong>to</strong> take any corrective<br />
action.<br />
When is a district liable?<br />
The Court refused <strong>to</strong> hold districts<br />
strictly liable for teacher-on-student sexual<br />
harassment under Title IX unless the<br />
school district was “deliberately indifferent”<br />
<strong>to</strong> the misconduct. But the st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
it set forth in Gebser nevertheless opened<br />
the floodgates for claims that school <strong>of</strong>ficials<br />
actually had knowledge <strong>of</strong> a harassment<br />
incident.<br />
Under Gebser, a school district will be<br />
held liable if:
1. An appropriate school <strong>of</strong>ficial has<br />
actual knowledge <strong>of</strong> discrimination,<br />
including harassment;<br />
2. The school <strong>of</strong>ficial has authority <strong>to</strong><br />
take corrective action <strong>to</strong> address the discrimination;<br />
3. The school <strong>of</strong>ficial fails <strong>to</strong> respond<br />
adequately; <strong>and</strong><br />
4. The inadequate response amounts <strong>to</strong><br />
deliberate indifference.<br />
A year later, the Supreme Court h<strong>and</strong>ed<br />
down the decision <strong>of</strong> Davis v. Monroe<br />
County Board <strong>of</strong> Education, which found<br />
that a person also can bring a private<br />
lawsuit against a school system under<br />
Title IX for student-on-student sexual<br />
harassment.<br />
In this case, the Court found that a district<br />
could be liable for sexual harassment<br />
among students if:<br />
1. The school system knew <strong>of</strong> sexual<br />
harassment <strong>and</strong> was deliberately indifferent<br />
<strong>to</strong> it; <strong>and</strong><br />
2. The harassment was so severe, pervasive,<br />
<strong>and</strong> objectionably <strong>of</strong>fensive that it<br />
deprived the victim <strong>of</strong> educational opportunities<br />
or benefits provided by the school<br />
system.<br />
This pronouncement has significant<br />
implications for school districts. If the district<br />
lacks antiharassment policies, or if<br />
they are out <strong>of</strong> date, a plaintiff surely will<br />
claim that the district has been “deliberately<br />
indifferent” <strong>to</strong> harassment. The same<br />
alarm may be raised if a district does not<br />
follow its own policies in terms <strong>of</strong> investigation,<br />
education, or training.<br />
The Court did recognize in Davis, however,<br />
that schoolchildren <strong>of</strong>ten act inappropriately<br />
<strong>and</strong> that “simple acts <strong>of</strong> name calling...,<br />
even where these comments target differences<br />
in gender,” will not necessarily give<br />
rise <strong>to</strong> damages. Instead, the conduct must<br />
be “serious enough <strong>to</strong> have the systemic<br />
effect <strong>of</strong> denying the victim equal access <strong>to</strong><br />
an educational program or activity.”<br />
In the wake <strong>of</strong> these Supreme Court<br />
decisions, federal <strong>and</strong> state courts have<br />
applied the “deliberate indifference” st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
<strong>to</strong> allegations that extend beyond<br />
gender discrimination <strong>to</strong> other types <strong>of</strong><br />
harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying. For example, in<br />
the 2003 case <strong>of</strong> Bryant v. ISD <strong>No</strong>. I-38,<br />
the 10th U.S. Circuit Court <strong>of</strong> Appeals<br />
applied the st<strong>and</strong>ard for sexual harassment<br />
under Title IX <strong>to</strong> claims <strong>of</strong> a hostile environment<br />
based on race.<br />
In 2004, the 3rd Circuit Appeals<br />
Court, in S<strong>to</strong>we Regional High School Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Education v. P.S., held that a school system’s<br />
failure <strong>to</strong> prevent bullying <strong>and</strong><br />
harassment based on disability resulted in<br />
a failure <strong>to</strong> provide a free appropriate public<br />
education as required by the Individuals<br />
<strong>with</strong> Disabilities Education Act.<br />
How can you prevent<br />
harassment?<br />
The responsibilities <strong>of</strong> school leaders—<br />
board members <strong>and</strong> administra<strong>to</strong>rs alike—<br />
can be broken down in<strong>to</strong> five key steps:<br />
1. Know the law. Many state statutes<br />
<strong>and</strong> state departments <strong>of</strong> education<br />
require school boards <strong>to</strong> have policies that<br />
prohibit harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying.<br />
2. Develop a policy that addresses the<br />
law. All school districts should have policies<br />
that address harassment <strong>and</strong> discrimination.<br />
In states where such a policy is<br />
m<strong>and</strong>ated by law, a district that lacks one<br />
will au<strong>to</strong>matically be tagged <strong>with</strong> deliberate<br />
indifference. The policy must not only<br />
define specifically what constitutes harassment<br />
<strong>and</strong> bullying, but must also set forth<br />
a mechanism for reporting such behavior.<br />
3. Involve the community. Parents,<br />
students, school employees, <strong>and</strong> community<br />
leaders alike should be involved in<br />
developing the policy. When everyone<br />
who has a stake in preventing harassment<br />
<strong>and</strong> bullying helps solve the problem,<br />
your policies have a much greater chance<br />
<strong>of</strong> success. And when those <strong>with</strong> different<br />
views come <strong>to</strong> the table, you gain<br />
allies in the fight against harassment <strong>and</strong><br />
bullying.<br />
4. Make sure students <strong>and</strong> staff<br />
underst<strong>and</strong> the policy. Too <strong>of</strong>ten, good<br />
board policies lie dormant because people<br />
simply don’t know they exist. Provide for<br />
yearly training for students <strong>and</strong> staff members<br />
so they will recognize harassment <strong>and</strong><br />
know what <strong>to</strong> do when they see it.<br />
5. Hold school administra<strong>to</strong>rs accountable.<br />
As the court in Bryant explained:<br />
“School administra<strong>to</strong>rs are not simply<br />
byst<strong>and</strong>ers in the school. They are<br />
leaders <strong>of</strong> the educational environment.<br />
They set the st<strong>and</strong>ard for<br />
behavior. They mete out discipline<br />
<strong>and</strong> consequences. They provide the<br />
system <strong>and</strong> rules by which students are<br />
expected <strong>to</strong> follow. ... [W]hen school<br />
administra<strong>to</strong>rs who have a duty <strong>to</strong><br />
provide a nondiscrimina<strong>to</strong>ry educational<br />
environment for their charges<br />
are made aware <strong>of</strong> egregious forms <strong>of</strong><br />
intentional discrimination <strong>and</strong> make<br />
the intentional choice <strong>to</strong> sit by <strong>and</strong> do<br />
nothing, they can be held liable.”<br />
School administra<strong>to</strong>rs who turn away<br />
in the face <strong>of</strong> harassment have the poten-<br />
tial <strong>to</strong> incur liability—not only for themselves<br />
but for the school board as well.<br />
How should complaints<br />
be addressed?<br />
Unfortunately, even the best prevention<br />
efforts won’t guarantee that all<br />
harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying will be eliminated.<br />
Make sure people in your school community<br />
know how <strong>to</strong> file a complaint, <strong>and</strong><br />
post contact information for your district’s<br />
human rights or Title IX <strong>of</strong>ficer conspicuously<br />
in each school building <strong>and</strong> anywhere<br />
else school employees work.<br />
Every complaint must be investigated—never<br />
allow one <strong>to</strong> be ignored simply<br />
because it does not “seem” credible. Consider<br />
the following guidelines for addressing<br />
complaints:<br />
• Appoint one person at each school<br />
or facility <strong>to</strong> receive oral or written reports<br />
<strong>of</strong> discrimination, harassment, or violence<br />
in the building. (This person might be the<br />
principal. For school facilities that do not<br />
have a principal, such as the transportation<br />
<strong>and</strong> maintenance departments, the<br />
direc<strong>to</strong>r should be responsible for receiving<br />
the reports.)<br />
• Require school employees <strong>to</strong> report<br />
all alleged incidents <strong>of</strong> harassment or violence<br />
that they observe <strong>with</strong>in 24 hours.<br />
• Ensure that the district’s human<br />
rights or Title IX <strong>of</strong>ficer is promptly notified<br />
<strong>of</strong> each such report, <strong>and</strong> then begin<br />
an investigation <strong>of</strong> the complaint.<br />
• Require that, at a minimum, the investigation<br />
consist <strong>of</strong> personal interviews <strong>with</strong><br />
the person who complained, the person<br />
against whom the complaint is filed, <strong>and</strong><br />
others who might have knowledge <strong>of</strong> the<br />
alleged incident or circumstance that<br />
prompted the complaint. The investigation<br />
could also include other methods <strong>and</strong> documents<br />
deemed pertinent by the investiga<strong>to</strong>r.<br />
• Provide that a written report is forwarded<br />
<strong>to</strong> the district’s human rights or<br />
Title IX <strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>and</strong> the superintendent<br />
when the investigation is complete, <strong>and</strong> in<br />
most cases not later than 10 working days<br />
<strong>of</strong> receiving the complaint.<br />
• Stress confidentiality about the filing<br />
<strong>of</strong> the complaint, the identity <strong>of</strong> subjects<br />
<strong>and</strong> witnesses, <strong>and</strong> any action taken as a<br />
result. Strict confidentiality is essential <strong>to</strong><br />
an effective investigation. Moreover, it will<br />
encourage people <strong>to</strong> come forward <strong>and</strong><br />
report incidents <strong>of</strong> discrimination. Only<br />
those individuals necessary for the investigation<br />
<strong>and</strong> resolution <strong>of</strong> the complaint<br />
should be given information about it. The<br />
right <strong>to</strong> confidentiality <strong>of</strong> complainants,<br />
subjects, witnesses, <strong>and</strong> investiga<strong>to</strong>rs should<br />
August 2006 / LEADERSHIP INSIDER 3
e vigorously protected; any violation may<br />
be grounds for disciplinary action.<br />
What if an allegation is proved?<br />
The school district must discipline any<br />
individual who has engaged in prohibited<br />
conduct. <strong>No</strong>te, <strong>to</strong>o, that the district also<br />
must discipline anyone who takes any<br />
adverse action against someone who<br />
reports possible discrimination, harassment,<br />
or violence—or against someone<br />
who cooperates, testifies, assists, or participates<br />
in an investigation, proceeding, or<br />
hearing on the matter.<br />
“Adverse action” includes, but is not<br />
limited <strong>to</strong>, any form <strong>of</strong> retaliation or<br />
4<br />
Words Matter<br />
In this post-Columbine world <strong>of</strong> zero<strong>to</strong>lerance<br />
school discipline, one strike<br />
has <strong>of</strong>ten meant you’re out, no matter<br />
what. Sometimes students have been<br />
suspended not for what they have done,<br />
but for papers they have written, thoughts<br />
they have had, <strong>and</strong> drawings they have<br />
created.<br />
More recently, bullying behavior has<br />
begun <strong>to</strong> be grouped under the everbroadening<br />
umbrella <strong>of</strong> zero <strong>to</strong>lerance.<br />
School districts state that they will not<br />
<strong>to</strong>lerate bullies. They display bully-buster<br />
posters on school walls <strong>to</strong> accompany the<br />
new antibullying rules. Eradicating bullies<br />
is also all the rage <strong>with</strong> state legisla<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
<strong>and</strong> consultants.<br />
Still, there is no agreement on how <strong>to</strong><br />
define bullying or what kinds <strong>of</strong> behavior<br />
it includes; the parameters <strong>of</strong> bullying are<br />
very elastic. Almost anything has the<br />
potential <strong>to</strong> be called bullying, from raising<br />
one’s eyebrow, giving “the evil eye,” <strong>and</strong><br />
making faces, <strong>to</strong> verbal expressions <strong>of</strong><br />
preference for some people over others.<br />
An ambiguous path<br />
To attach the vague term “bullying” <strong>to</strong><br />
this behavior is <strong>to</strong> opt out <strong>of</strong> the civil<br />
rights framework <strong>and</strong> start down an<br />
ambiguous path. Problems pop up all<br />
along this path.<br />
Sometimes very egregious behavior is<br />
labeled “bullying,” when in fact it might<br />
constitute criminal hazing or sexual/gender<br />
harassment. To call this kind <strong>of</strong> behav-<br />
LEADERSHIP INSIDER / August 2006<br />
intimidation, reprisal, coercion, provocation,<br />
or harassment.<br />
Keep in mind that having a procedure<br />
for students <strong>and</strong> employees <strong>to</strong> follow does<br />
not deny an individual’s right <strong>to</strong> pursue<br />
other avenues <strong>of</strong> recourse. These may<br />
include filing charges against the perpetra<strong>to</strong>r<br />
or the school board or initiating civil or<br />
criminal action under state or federal law.<br />
And remember that under certain circumstances,<br />
harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying may<br />
constitute child abuse, requiring you <strong>to</strong><br />
report the incident <strong>to</strong> your state’s child<br />
protective services.<br />
When school districts fail <strong>to</strong> adopt,<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> follow their policies, they<br />
ior “bullying” leaves no opportunity <strong>to</strong><br />
identify, conceptualize, or investigate the<br />
behavior as a violation <strong>of</strong> rights under specific<br />
legal criteria.<br />
When children are very young, it is<br />
appropriate <strong>to</strong> talk about bullying, rather<br />
than sexual harassment or sexual violence.<br />
But certainly by the time children are in<br />
sixth grade, we ought <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p speaking in<br />
euphemisms or generalities.<br />
Let’s name the behavior for what it is.<br />
To continue using the term “bullying”<br />
<strong>with</strong> older children does them a serious<br />
disservice. We infantilize adolescents when<br />
we keep calling their inappropriate behavior<br />
<strong>to</strong>ward others “bullying”—especially if<br />
that behavior might constitute criminal<br />
conduct.<br />
Words matter. By sixth grade, children<br />
need <strong>to</strong> be able <strong>to</strong> underst<strong>and</strong> conduct for<br />
what it is, be it harassment, hazing, or sexual<br />
violence.<br />
The wrong direction<br />
School boards <strong>and</strong> administra<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
should consider whether they have been<br />
<strong>to</strong>o quick <strong>to</strong> embrace the anti-bullying<br />
movement <strong>and</strong>, in so doing, <strong>to</strong> ab<strong>and</strong>on<br />
the anti-harassment focus.<br />
By calling behavior “bullying” rather<br />
than “harassment,” some districts might<br />
believe they are less likely <strong>to</strong> be sued in<br />
federal court. After all, harassment <strong>and</strong><br />
discrimination based on race, disability,<br />
gender, or national origin are civil rights<br />
violations, <strong>and</strong> rigorous st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>of</strong><br />
are vulnerable <strong>to</strong> the “deliberatly indifferent”<br />
label. As the headlines quoted earlier<br />
suggest, the damage done <strong>to</strong> a school system<br />
is measured not just in monetary<br />
terms, but in wasted time <strong>and</strong> energy <strong>and</strong>,<br />
ultimately, loss <strong>of</strong> confidence in the schools.<br />
Most important, the children in your<br />
schools deserve the opportunity <strong>to</strong> learn in<br />
an environment free from intimidation<br />
<strong>and</strong> harassment. By being vigilant in<br />
enacting <strong>and</strong> enforcing your policies, you<br />
can help make sure that happens.<br />
Kim Croyle <strong>of</strong> Bowles Rice McDavid Graff &<br />
Love LLP in Morgan<strong>to</strong>wn, W.Va., is a member <strong>of</strong><br />
the NSBA Council <strong>of</strong> School At<strong>to</strong>rneys.<br />
Sweeping serious harassment under the ‘bullying’ rug does students a disservice<br />
By Nan D. Stein<br />
pro<strong>of</strong> must be met when such charges are<br />
made.<br />
<strong>Bullying</strong>, on the other h<strong>and</strong>, violates no<br />
federal law, <strong>and</strong> it is not tied <strong>to</strong> civil<br />
rights. By subsuming serious violations<br />
under the bullying umbrella, then, it is<br />
possible that students who have been bullied<br />
might lose their rights <strong>to</strong> legal redress.<br />
Approaching the subject <strong>of</strong> bullying<br />
<strong>with</strong>out also talking about harassment <strong>and</strong><br />
hazing leads us in the wrong direction.<br />
The focus should be on ensuring civil<br />
rights <strong>and</strong> equal educational opportunities<br />
for all students—rather than on suspending<br />
<strong>and</strong> expelling more students in the<br />
name <strong>of</strong> zero <strong>to</strong>lerance for bullying. We<br />
don’t want <strong>to</strong> find ourselves suspending<br />
students left <strong>and</strong> right for all sorts <strong>of</strong> “discomfort”<br />
that they might have caused.<br />
<strong>Bullying</strong> is <strong>to</strong>o arbitrary, subjective, <strong>and</strong><br />
all-encompassing a concept <strong>to</strong> be the basis<br />
for a sound disciplinary approach. Because<br />
there is no threshold for bullying, its use as<br />
a criterion is rife <strong>with</strong> opportunities for<br />
abuse <strong>of</strong> power.<br />
The broad sweep <strong>of</strong> both the anti-bullying<br />
movement <strong>and</strong> zero <strong>to</strong>lerance is very<br />
troubling. Once we back away from rights,<br />
it could be difficult <strong>to</strong> reclaim them.<br />
Instead, let’s stick <strong>with</strong> rights. Let’s use<br />
them, extend them, <strong>and</strong> reaffirm them.<br />
Nan D. Stein is senior research scientist at the<br />
Center for Research on Women at the Wellesley<br />
Centers for Women at Wellesley College,<br />
Wellesley, Mass.
Sticks <strong>and</strong> S<strong>to</strong>nes in Cyberspace<br />
By Lisa L. Swem<br />
“Sticks <strong>and</strong> s<strong>to</strong>nes may break my bones,<br />
but words will never hurt me.”<br />
<strong>Bullying</strong> occurs throughout the K-12<br />
school environment <strong>and</strong> comes in<br />
many forms. With the proliferation<br />
<strong>of</strong> interactive <strong>and</strong> digital technologies,<br />
cyberspace has become a new venue<br />
through which bullies can <strong>to</strong>rment their<br />
victims. Unfortunately for the victim,<br />
technology can afford the bully a greater<br />
degree <strong>of</strong> anonymity <strong>and</strong> a wider audience.<br />
Although the cyber-bully typically acts<br />
far away from the schoolhouse gate,<br />
school <strong>of</strong>ficials regularly deal <strong>with</strong> the<br />
aftermath <strong>of</strong> the behavior. But school discipline<br />
for <strong>of</strong>f-campus conduct is vulnerable<br />
<strong>to</strong> legal challenge. Litigation challenging<br />
such discipline for cyberspace<br />
activity generally favors the student when<br />
First Amendment protections are implicated<br />
<strong>and</strong> school <strong>of</strong>ficials fail <strong>to</strong> link the<br />
conduct <strong>to</strong> disruption <strong>of</strong> the learning<br />
environment.<br />
First Amendment protection<br />
In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled<br />
in Reno v. ACLU that speech on the Internet<br />
deserves the highest level <strong>of</strong> First<br />
Amendment protection.<br />
Student speech has been afforded First<br />
Amendment protection since the court’s<br />
1969 ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent<br />
Community School District. To justify<br />
discipline for student speech, school<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials have the burden <strong>to</strong> demonstrate<br />
that the student’s conduct would “materially<br />
<strong>and</strong> substantially interfere <strong>with</strong> the<br />
requirements <strong>of</strong> appropriate discipline in<br />
the operation <strong>of</strong> the schools” or “impinge<br />
upon the rights <strong>of</strong> other students.”<br />
The “material <strong>and</strong> substantial disruption”<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the test remains the st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
by which courts analyze most student<br />
speech cases, including speech expressed<br />
in cyberspace.<br />
While cyberspace is <strong>of</strong>f campus, the<br />
initial inquiry must determine whether<br />
the student’s conduct (posting or accessing<br />
a website) occurred <strong>of</strong>f campus or at<br />
school. Discipline for conduct occurring<br />
at school or through school equipment is<br />
much less vulnerable <strong>to</strong> legal challenge,<br />
particularly if the conduct violated the<br />
school’s acceptable use policy related <strong>to</strong><br />
technology.<br />
Most litigation is filed in reaction <strong>to</strong><br />
pending disciplinary sanctions <strong>and</strong> seeks a<br />
court order prohibiting the school from<br />
imposing the discipline. In First Amendment<br />
cases, the key fac<strong>to</strong>r in determining<br />
if an injunction should be issued is<br />
whether the plaintiff or the school district<br />
will likely succeed on the merits <strong>of</strong> the<br />
case.<br />
Most school district defendants<br />
attempt <strong>to</strong> meet this burden by showing<br />
that the expression was either a “true<br />
threat” or caused—or was reasonably<br />
expected <strong>to</strong> cause—a “material <strong>and</strong> substantial<br />
disruption” <strong>to</strong> the school environment.<br />
First Amendment protections do not<br />
extend <strong>to</strong> certain types <strong>of</strong> speech, including<br />
threats <strong>of</strong> violence. As the Supreme<br />
Court instructed in a 2003 case, Virginia<br />
v. Black, “true threats” are “those statements<br />
where the speaker means <strong>to</strong> communicate<br />
a serious expression <strong>of</strong> an<br />
intent <strong>to</strong> commit an act <strong>of</strong> unlawful violence<br />
<strong>to</strong> a particular individual or group<br />
<strong>of</strong> individuals.”<br />
To determine if a statement is a true<br />
threat <strong>and</strong> outside First Amendment protection,<br />
a court typically will examine the<br />
following fac<strong>to</strong>rs:<br />
• What was the speaker’s intent?<br />
• How did the intended victim react?<br />
• Was the communication made<br />
directly <strong>to</strong> the victim?<br />
• Was the threat conditional?<br />
• Did the victim have reason <strong>to</strong> believe<br />
that violence would occur?<br />
A true threat<br />
A recent federal court decision from<br />
New York illustrates how this analysis<br />
works. In Wisniewski v. Board <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
<strong>of</strong> Weedsport Central School District, an<br />
eighth-grade student created <strong>and</strong><br />
attached <strong>to</strong> his computer’s instant messaging<br />
feature an icon <strong>of</strong> a gun pointing<br />
<strong>to</strong> a head, a bullet leaving the gun, <strong>and</strong><br />
blood splattering from the head. The<br />
icon was captioned “Kill Mr. V<strong>and</strong>er-<br />
Molen,” referring <strong>to</strong> the student’s English<br />
teacher. The student attached the icon <strong>to</strong><br />
instant messages he forwarded from his<br />
home computer <strong>to</strong> about 15 friends,<br />
including classmates. His resulting suspension<br />
led <strong>to</strong> a lawsuit claiming that the<br />
discipline violated his First Amendment<br />
rights.<br />
The court disagreed, concluding that<br />
the icon was a true threat <strong>and</strong> thus not<br />
protected under the First Amendment:<br />
“On their face, the words ‘Kill Mr. V<strong>and</strong>er-<br />
Molen” <strong>and</strong> the accompanying graphic cannot<br />
be viewed as anything but an unequivocal,<br />
unconditional, immediate threat <strong>of</strong><br />
injury specific as <strong>to</strong> the person threatened,<br />
such as conveys a gravity <strong>of</strong> purpose <strong>and</strong><br />
imminent prospect <strong>of</strong> execution.”<br />
The court found surrounding circumstances<br />
supported this conclusion,<br />
including the effect <strong>of</strong> the icon on the<br />
teacher <strong>and</strong> school <strong>of</strong>ficials, the student’s<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> the school’s position that a<br />
threat was no joke, the absence <strong>of</strong> any<br />
fac<strong>to</strong>r <strong>to</strong> the suggestion that the icon was<br />
a joke, <strong>and</strong> the general increase in school<br />
violence. The court concluded that “an<br />
ordinary, reasonable recipient who is<br />
familiar <strong>with</strong> the context <strong>of</strong> the icon<br />
would interpret it as a serious threat <strong>of</strong><br />
injury.”<br />
True, this case involved a teacher victim<br />
rather than a bullied pupil. But a<br />
growing body <strong>of</strong> case law involves expressive<br />
cyberspace activity targeting school<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials as well as students. While the<br />
facts <strong>and</strong> circumstances might differ, the<br />
analyses courts use <strong>to</strong> determine if the<br />
expressive activity was protected under<br />
the First Amendment (<strong>and</strong> not a true<br />
threat) are consistent.<br />
If the student’s expressive activity is<br />
not a true threat, school <strong>of</strong>ficials must<br />
satisfy the Tinker requirement by producing<br />
evidence <strong>to</strong> establish that the expression<br />
created or threatened <strong>to</strong> create a<br />
“material <strong>and</strong> substantial disruption” <strong>to</strong><br />
the school’s operation.<br />
Courts do not accept an administra<strong>to</strong>r’s<br />
mere pronouncement <strong>of</strong> material<br />
<strong>and</strong> substantial disruption based on an<br />
“undifferentiated fear.” Rather, school<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials have the burden <strong>to</strong> establish an<br />
actual or reasonable forecast <strong>of</strong> the disruption.<br />
Disciplinary actions<br />
So far, court decisions involving conduct<br />
directed <strong>to</strong>ward other students have<br />
found disciplinary actions unconstitutional.<br />
A review <strong>of</strong> these cases illustrates the<br />
fac<strong>to</strong>rs school <strong>of</strong>ficials need <strong>to</strong> be aware <strong>of</strong><br />
in these situations.<br />
See Cyberspace on page 10<br />
August 2006 / LEADERSHIP INSIDER 5
In June 2005, Massachusetts At<strong>to</strong>rney<br />
General Tom Reilly launched a new<br />
strategy <strong>to</strong> provide school districts<br />
statewide <strong>with</strong> practical help in promoting<br />
educational equity <strong>and</strong> making<br />
them safe from harassment, bullying, <strong>and</strong><br />
hate crimes.<br />
The Safe Schools Initiative (SSI), as the<br />
new strategy is called, is a collaborative<br />
effort among Reilly’s <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>and</strong> more than<br />
60 experts <strong>and</strong> organizations representing<br />
education, law enforcement, health, academia,<br />
civil rights, victim assistance, <strong>and</strong> prevention.<br />
Through the SSI, the at<strong>to</strong>rney<br />
general <strong>and</strong> his partners are developing<br />
practical policies, training programs, <strong>and</strong><br />
“<br />
strategies <strong>to</strong> help schools promote safety<br />
<strong>and</strong> cultivate climates that welcome the<br />
rich diversity <strong>of</strong> their communities.<br />
The SSI responds <strong>to</strong> increasing concerns<br />
about hate, harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying,<br />
<strong>and</strong> school cultures that may discourage<br />
students from st<strong>and</strong>ing up against fellow<br />
students who victimize their classmates<br />
<strong>and</strong> deter them from reporting<br />
even the most serious forms <strong>of</strong> harassment<br />
<strong>and</strong> bullying.<br />
Crafting civil rights policy<br />
As an important first step, the at<strong>to</strong>rney<br />
general’s staff drafted a sample civil rights<br />
policy in consultation <strong>with</strong> the Massachusetts<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> School Committees,<br />
Massachusetts Association <strong>of</strong> School<br />
Superintendents, <strong>and</strong> the state department<br />
<strong>of</strong> education, along <strong>with</strong> other key education<br />
stakeholders <strong>and</strong> civil rights experts.<br />
The sample policy sets forth rights <strong>and</strong><br />
responsibilities <strong>of</strong> school community members<br />
when harassment, discrimination,<br />
retaliation, repeated bullying behavior, or<br />
hate crimes occur. For example, it requires<br />
6<br />
Massachusetts: Collaborating for Safe Schools<br />
A partnership initiative combats harassment,<br />
bullying, <strong>and</strong> hate crimes in schools<br />
By Richard W. Cole<br />
LEADERSHIP INSIDER / August 2006<br />
m<strong>and</strong>a<strong>to</strong>ry reporting by staff members<br />
whenever <strong>and</strong> however they become<br />
aware <strong>of</strong> potential violations.<br />
In addition, the sample policy provides<br />
step-by-step guidance for investigating <strong>and</strong><br />
resolving complaints or reports <strong>of</strong> prohibited<br />
conduct. It also establishes formal <strong>and</strong><br />
informal complaint resolution procedures<br />
<strong>and</strong> provides disciplinary <strong>and</strong> corrective<br />
action options for substantiated complaints.<br />
Launching a pilot project<br />
Part <strong>of</strong> the initiative is a pilot project <strong>to</strong><br />
develop <strong>and</strong> field test <strong>to</strong>ols <strong>and</strong> strategies<br />
for fostering safe schools <strong>and</strong> transforming<br />
culture <strong>and</strong> climate. Three school districts<br />
The sample policy provides step-by-step<br />
guidance for investigating <strong>and</strong> resolving<br />
complaints or reports <strong>of</strong> prohibited conduct.<br />
”<br />
were selected from 20 that applied <strong>to</strong><br />
receive intensive on-site technical assistance<br />
<strong>and</strong> training for the 2005-06 <strong>and</strong><br />
2006-07 school years. Although distinct<br />
geographically, demographically, <strong>and</strong> in<br />
size, the three districts face school safety<br />
<strong>and</strong> civil rights challenges similar <strong>to</strong> those<br />
in many urban, suburban, <strong>and</strong> rural school<br />
districts.<br />
The at<strong>to</strong>rney general’s civil rights <strong>and</strong><br />
child protection staff lead multidisciplinary<br />
teams in each pilot district. The teams<br />
include seven <strong>to</strong> nine experts in educational<br />
equity, conflict resolution, juvenile justice,<br />
civil rights, federal <strong>and</strong> state antiharassment<br />
laws, child psychology, antibullying<br />
strategies, community relations, victim<br />
assistance, <strong>and</strong> prevention.<br />
The first phase <strong>of</strong> the pilot project,<br />
completed in May 2006, involved working<br />
<strong>with</strong> district leadership teams <strong>of</strong> about 10<br />
<strong>to</strong> 15 administra<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>and</strong> staff <strong>to</strong> identify<br />
strengths, challenges, technical assistance,<br />
<strong>and</strong> training needs. This needs assessment<br />
phase included:<br />
1. collecting <strong>and</strong> analyzing a broad<br />
range <strong>of</strong> information about each pilot district’s<br />
policies <strong>and</strong> programs <strong>and</strong> its schools,<br />
students, staff, parents, <strong>and</strong> community;<br />
2. evaluating the experiences, attitudes,<br />
observations, <strong>and</strong> perceptions <strong>of</strong> each district’s<br />
seventh <strong>and</strong> 10th graders <strong>and</strong> its<br />
entire staff through surveys developed for<br />
this project;<br />
3. making school site observations;<br />
4. holding focus group discussions<br />
about school climate <strong>and</strong> culture <strong>with</strong> representative<br />
groups <strong>of</strong> administra<strong>to</strong>rs,<br />
teachers, staff, students, parents, <strong>and</strong> community<br />
leaders; <strong>and</strong><br />
5. interviewing key district, school, <strong>and</strong><br />
community leaders.<br />
Developing action plans<br />
In the second phase <strong>of</strong> the pilot project,<br />
begun in June, the expert teams <strong>and</strong><br />
districts are developing detailed, datadriven,<br />
districtwide, <strong>and</strong> school-based<br />
action plans. Each district is in the process<br />
<strong>of</strong> adopting a civil rights policy <strong>and</strong> modifying,<br />
as necessary, its reporting, complaint<br />
response, record-keeping, <strong>and</strong> investiga<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
pro<strong>to</strong>cols. The districts are designating<br />
or exp<strong>and</strong>ing the role <strong>of</strong> a district equity<br />
coordina<strong>to</strong>r <strong>with</strong> broad authority over policy<br />
compliance.<br />
The districts are also adopting new incident-tracking<br />
forms <strong>to</strong> help them identify<br />
patterns <strong>and</strong> trends, repeat <strong>of</strong>fenders, <strong>and</strong><br />
problem sites <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong> ensure consistently<br />
applied discipline by, for example, identifying<br />
racial, ethnic, or gender disparities in<br />
discipline imposed under the policy.<br />
The action plans may include conducting<br />
a wide range <strong>of</strong> training for administra<strong>to</strong>rs,<br />
staff, students, <strong>and</strong> parents; implementing<br />
new policy management <strong>and</strong><br />
oversight systems; adopting new prevention-based<br />
strategies <strong>and</strong> prevention programs<br />
<strong>and</strong> curricula; <strong>and</strong> increasing community<br />
resources <strong>and</strong> support <strong>to</strong> achieve<br />
each district’s goals.<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> the 2006-07 school year,<br />
the at<strong>to</strong>rney general’s staff <strong>and</strong> the other<br />
partners will work <strong>with</strong> each district <strong>to</strong> evaluate<br />
the progress made in the pilot project<br />
<strong>and</strong> will provide schools throughout the<br />
state <strong>with</strong> strategies, pro<strong>to</strong>cols, <strong>and</strong> programs<br />
that have been developed <strong>to</strong> combat<br />
harassment, bullying, <strong>and</strong> hate crimes.<br />
Richard W. Cole is senior counsel for civil rights<br />
<strong>and</strong> civil liberties <strong>and</strong> assistant at<strong>to</strong>rney general<br />
in the Massachusetts Office <strong>of</strong> At<strong>to</strong>rney General.<br />
He serves as co-chair <strong>of</strong> the statewide Safe<br />
Schools Initiative.
Maryl<strong>and</strong>: Confronting Classroom Bullies<br />
Data collection is the first step in a statewide antibullying campaign<br />
By Nancy S. Grasmick<br />
Schools are among the safest places<br />
for children <strong>to</strong> be, but work remains<br />
<strong>to</strong> provide positive learning environments<br />
that are free <strong>of</strong> bullying <strong>and</strong><br />
harassment. Nationally, almost 30 percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> teens are thought <strong>to</strong> be affected—as a<br />
bully, a target <strong>of</strong> bullying, or both. In a<br />
recent survey <strong>of</strong> sixth <strong>to</strong> 10th-graders, 11<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> students said they were victims<br />
<strong>of</strong> bullying. These students can experience<br />
anxiety, lowered self-esteem, <strong>and</strong> difficulty<br />
concentrating in class.<br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong> policymakers <strong>and</strong> educa<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
are combating bullying through a new system<br />
<strong>of</strong> data collection <strong>and</strong> reporting that<br />
By Catherine Bradshaw,<br />
Katrina Debnam, Lucia Martin,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Rhonda Gill<br />
Approximately 25 states have passed<br />
legislation related <strong>to</strong> bullying or intimidation<br />
at school. Like most states <strong>with</strong><br />
such legislation, Maryl<strong>and</strong>’s policy<br />
focuses on m<strong>and</strong>ated reporting <strong>and</strong> surveillance<br />
<strong>of</strong> bullying incidents. An important<br />
step in responding <strong>to</strong> this requirement<br />
is creating a systematic method for<br />
efficiently collecting <strong>and</strong> reporting information<br />
on school bullying.<br />
Recognizing that the Internet provides<br />
an enormous opportunity for collecting<br />
information, Maryl<strong>and</strong>’s Anne<br />
Arundel County school system, working<br />
<strong>with</strong> the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Public Health, has developed<br />
a web-based system <strong>to</strong> moni<strong>to</strong>r <strong>and</strong><br />
assess the prevalence <strong>of</strong> bullying in its<br />
117 public schools.<br />
The password-protected system collects<br />
anonymous information, including<br />
students’ <strong>and</strong> teachers’ reactions <strong>to</strong> witnessing<br />
<strong>and</strong> experiencing bullying. A<br />
critical feature <strong>of</strong> this system is the userfriendly<br />
reporting mechanism, which<br />
allows administra<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>and</strong> district staff <strong>to</strong><br />
view the survey results immediately <strong>and</strong><br />
generate a variety <strong>of</strong> preformatted<br />
reports summarizing their school’s data.<br />
The results are displayed in pie <strong>and</strong> bar<br />
produces data school districts can use <strong>to</strong><br />
develop or refine antibullying programs.<br />
Underst<strong>and</strong>ing the problem<br />
Last year, the Maryl<strong>and</strong> General<br />
Assembly passed the Safe Schools Reporting<br />
Act, which requires local school systems<br />
<strong>to</strong> report <strong>to</strong> the Maryl<strong>and</strong> State<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Education (MSDE) all<br />
incidents <strong>of</strong> harassment or intimidation<br />
against students. The act calls on the<br />
department <strong>to</strong> compile the data <strong>and</strong> issue<br />
an annual report.<br />
The first such report, released in March<br />
2006, contains findings that have helped<br />
USING THE INTERNET TO MONITOR BULLYING AND SCHOOL CLIMATE<br />
charts <strong>and</strong> are intended <strong>to</strong> inform local<br />
decision making on school improvement<br />
<strong>and</strong> safety planning.<br />
First used districtwide in December<br />
2005, the system collected anonymous<br />
data on bullying <strong>and</strong> school climate<br />
from 25,119 students, 2,263 staff members,<br />
<strong>and</strong> 831 parents. An estimated 74<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> the students in grades 4<br />
through 10 completed the survey.<br />
Two findings st<strong>and</strong> out in the preliminary<br />
analysis <strong>of</strong> this data:<br />
• 58 percent <strong>of</strong> elementary, 74 percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> middle, <strong>and</strong> 79 percent <strong>of</strong> high<br />
school students said they had witnessed<br />
bullying <strong>with</strong>in the past month.<br />
• 32 percent <strong>of</strong> elementary, 31 percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> middle, <strong>and</strong> 26 percent <strong>of</strong> high<br />
school students reported experiencing<br />
chronic bullying, defined as two or<br />
more times <strong>with</strong>in the past month.<br />
These rates are similar <strong>to</strong> those<br />
reported in a 2001 national study <strong>of</strong><br />
bullying.<br />
As expected, the students who<br />
reported experiencing bullying more<br />
frequently also reported feeling less<br />
safe at school <strong>and</strong> less connected <strong>to</strong><br />
their school. Furthermore, increased<br />
involvement in bullying was associated<br />
<strong>with</strong> attitudes supporting physical retaliation<br />
<strong>and</strong> defensive fighting.<br />
In addition <strong>to</strong> providing ongoing<br />
technical assistance regarding the use<br />
educa<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>and</strong> policymakers better underst<strong>and</strong><br />
the extent <strong>of</strong> bullying <strong>and</strong> harassment<br />
in Maryl<strong>and</strong> classrooms. Highlights<br />
include these findings:<br />
• A <strong>to</strong>tal <strong>of</strong> 1,054 incidents were<br />
reported in schools between Sept. 1, 2005,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Jan. 13, 2006. Most <strong>of</strong> the incidents<br />
(60 percent) involved teasing, name calling,<br />
<strong>and</strong> threatening remarks.<br />
• The most frequent victims <strong>of</strong> bullying<br />
incidents were 12-year-olds, according <strong>to</strong><br />
submitted reports. Most incidents were<br />
perpetrated by 13-year-olds.<br />
• The alleged motives for the incidents,<br />
as reported by investiga<strong>to</strong>rs, ranged<br />
<strong>of</strong> the survey system, the district <strong>and</strong><br />
university partners have conducted a<br />
series <strong>of</strong> workshops for administra<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
<strong>and</strong> school staff on data-based decision<br />
making. The response <strong>to</strong> the initiative<br />
has been overwhelmingly positive.<br />
When surveyed about the web-based<br />
system, 75 percent <strong>of</strong> 223 administra<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
<strong>and</strong> staff members said they<br />
believed it would have a “moderate” <strong>to</strong><br />
“significant” impact on their schools’<br />
efforts <strong>to</strong> prevent violence.<br />
Focus groups <strong>with</strong> administra<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
suggest that they greatly appreciate<br />
having up-<strong>to</strong>-date information on bullying<br />
they can use in planning for school<br />
improvement. The district plans <strong>to</strong> continue<br />
use <strong>of</strong> the Internet-based survey<br />
system on an annual basis <strong>to</strong> meet<br />
local evaluation needs <strong>and</strong> stay abreast<br />
<strong>of</strong> legislative requirements.<br />
Catherine Bradshaw is an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School <strong>of</strong><br />
Public Health <strong>and</strong> associate direc<strong>to</strong>r for the<br />
Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention <strong>of</strong><br />
Youth Violence, where Katrina Debnam is a<br />
field coordina<strong>to</strong>r.<br />
Lucia Martin is a resource counselor in the<br />
Office <strong>of</strong> Guidance <strong>and</strong> Counseling for the<br />
Anne Arundel County Public Schools, <strong>and</strong><br />
Rhonda Gill is the district’s direc<strong>to</strong>r <strong>of</strong> student<br />
services.<br />
August 2006 / LEADERSHIP INSIDER 7
from “just <strong>to</strong> be mean” (33.2 percent) <strong>and</strong><br />
“<strong>to</strong> impress others” (21.2 percent) <strong>to</strong> physical<br />
appearance (9 percent). In more than<br />
one in five incidents (21.2 percent), the<br />
motivation was not known.<br />
• Most <strong>of</strong> the incidents <strong>to</strong>ok place on<br />
school property (84.7 percent). The next<br />
most likely place was on school buses<br />
(13.3 percent).<br />
Of course, data alone can’t solve problems.<br />
But these statistics help us underst<strong>and</strong><br />
the problems <strong>of</strong> bullying <strong>and</strong> the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> reporting <strong>and</strong> investigating<br />
incidents. Once staff members recognize<br />
the extent <strong>of</strong> bullying in the schools, they<br />
are more likely <strong>to</strong> report incidents <strong>and</strong><br />
make parents <strong>and</strong> students aware <strong>of</strong> the<br />
resources available <strong>to</strong> them.<br />
Addressing the problem<br />
To help school staffs address bullying<br />
problems, MSDE released a publication,<br />
Report on <strong>Bullying</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Harassment</strong> in<br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong> Public Schools, which details regula<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
changes <strong>and</strong> classroom activities<br />
designed <strong>to</strong> decrease the incidence <strong>of</strong> bullying.<br />
The report contains specific recom-<br />
8<br />
mendations for MSDE <strong>and</strong> Maryl<strong>and</strong>’s 24<br />
local school systems <strong>and</strong> provides a full<br />
discussion <strong>of</strong> bullying: what it is; its effects<br />
on society; <strong>and</strong> the national perspective,<br />
including efforts in other states.<br />
State-level recommendations include<br />
helping districts develop instruments <strong>to</strong><br />
assess the extent <strong>of</strong> bullying <strong>and</strong> harassment<br />
in local schools <strong>and</strong> providing a fulltime<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional <strong>to</strong> work <strong>with</strong> school systems<br />
on improving school safety.<br />
Recommendations for school systems<br />
include providing ongoing training on bullying<br />
<strong>and</strong> harassment for all staff members<br />
<strong>and</strong> developing <strong>and</strong> disseminating written<br />
district <strong>and</strong> school policies that prohibit<br />
bullying <strong>and</strong> harassment.<br />
Building on past efforts<br />
Oklahoma: <strong>Bullying</strong> Prevention<br />
Spurred by growing concern over<br />
school safety, threats <strong>of</strong> violence, <strong>and</strong><br />
the negative effect <strong>of</strong> bullying on<br />
school climate, Oklahoma enacted<br />
the School <strong>Bullying</strong> Prevention Act in<br />
2002. The act reflected the legislature’s<br />
conviction that a comprehensive approach<br />
by public schools <strong>to</strong> implement policies for<br />
preventing harassment, intimidation, <strong>and</strong><br />
bullying was needed <strong>to</strong> create a safe environment<br />
conducive <strong>to</strong> the learning<br />
process.<br />
The act requires each public school <strong>to</strong><br />
set up a Safe School Committee <strong>to</strong> facilitate<br />
cooperation between families <strong>and</strong><br />
schools <strong>to</strong>ward developing solutions. The<br />
committees are <strong>to</strong> be made up <strong>of</strong> at least<br />
six members, including equal numbers <strong>of</strong><br />
teachers, students, <strong>and</strong> parents <strong>of</strong> affected<br />
students.<br />
Each committee has three charges:<br />
LEADERSHIP INSIDER / August 2006<br />
The publication <strong>and</strong> release <strong>of</strong> data are<br />
just the most recent efforts in Maryl<strong>and</strong>’s<br />
targeted program <strong>to</strong> reduce bullying<br />
through regula<strong>to</strong>ry, curricular, <strong>and</strong> programmatic<br />
means. Past efforts include:<br />
• Regula<strong>to</strong>ry efforts. In 1999, the<br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong> State Board <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
approved regulations designed <strong>to</strong> ensure<br />
that students have safe learning environ-<br />
1. <strong>to</strong> study unsafe school conditions,<br />
including student harassment, intimidation,<br />
<strong>and</strong> bullying;<br />
2. <strong>to</strong> make recommendations <strong>to</strong> the<br />
principal; <strong>and</strong><br />
3. <strong>to</strong> study <strong>and</strong> recommend ways <strong>to</strong><br />
encourage the involvement <strong>of</strong> the community<br />
<strong>and</strong> students <strong>and</strong> the use <strong>of</strong> problem-solving<br />
teams that include counselors<br />
or school psychologists.<br />
A common goal<br />
The Oklahoma <strong>Bullying</strong> Prevention<br />
Initiative (OBPI) is a project <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law &<br />
Justice <strong>and</strong> is funded by a grant from the<br />
Oklahoma State Department <strong>of</strong> Health.<br />
Governed by a coalition <strong>of</strong> nonpr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
organizations that serve a statewide constituency,<br />
the OBPI includes a general<br />
membership base <strong>of</strong> agencies, organiza-<br />
ments at school. A school safety regulation,<br />
approved in 2003, says that students<br />
should be free from harassment.<br />
• Curricular efforts. Maryl<strong>and</strong>’s voluntary<br />
health curriculum addresses harassment<br />
<strong>and</strong> assault prevention. The high<br />
school curriculum is even more specific<br />
about bullying behavior <strong>and</strong> its prevention.<br />
• Programmatic efforts. MSDE <strong>and</strong><br />
local systems have promoted a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
programs designed <strong>to</strong> improve school safety<br />
<strong>and</strong> decrease bullying <strong>and</strong> harassment,<br />
including one called Positive Behavioral<br />
Interventions <strong>and</strong> Support.<br />
States <strong>and</strong> school systems have an obligation<br />
<strong>to</strong> set high expectations for student<br />
performance. For students <strong>to</strong> meet those<br />
expectations, they must have access <strong>to</strong> a<br />
learning environment that is safe, free<br />
from harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying, <strong>and</strong> conductive<br />
<strong>to</strong> learning. Maryl<strong>and</strong> is proud <strong>to</strong><br />
be on the cutting edge <strong>of</strong> data collection<br />
<strong>and</strong> reporting that will lead <strong>to</strong> improved<br />
environments—<strong>and</strong> improved learning—<br />
for all children.<br />
Nancy Grasmick is Maryl<strong>and</strong> State Superintendent<br />
<strong>of</strong> Schools.<br />
Through shared goals <strong>and</strong> combined effort, communities can create safer schools<br />
By Tina Izadi<br />
tions, <strong>and</strong> others from across the state<br />
that share the common goal <strong>of</strong> reducing<br />
bullying <strong>and</strong> ensuring the safety <strong>of</strong> all<br />
children.<br />
The purpose <strong>of</strong> the initiative is <strong>to</strong><br />
coordinate statewide bullying prevention<br />
efforts, <strong>to</strong> define policy, <strong>to</strong> educate communities,<br />
<strong>to</strong> provide resources <strong>and</strong> support<br />
<strong>to</strong> parents <strong>and</strong> educa<strong>to</strong>rs, <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong><br />
develop systemwide solutions <strong>to</strong> bullying<br />
<strong>and</strong> issues that stem from bullying. Over<br />
time, OBPI will develop a comprehensive<br />
statewide bullying prevention plan that is<br />
based on community input <strong>and</strong> assessment<br />
<strong>of</strong> need <strong>and</strong> involves moni<strong>to</strong>ring,<br />
review, <strong>and</strong> evaluation. This plan will be<br />
distributed <strong>to</strong> state-based <strong>and</strong> national<br />
entities.<br />
Three workgroups will assist in the furtherance<br />
<strong>of</strong> the initiative’s goals, policy<br />
<strong>and</strong> legislation, training, <strong>and</strong> public educa-
tion. The workgroups are designed <strong>to</strong> capitalize<br />
on the strengths <strong>of</strong> each coalition<br />
member. Each <strong>of</strong> these groups makes recommendations<br />
<strong>to</strong> the OBPI coalition<br />
about specific courses <strong>of</strong> action <strong>to</strong> be<br />
taken <strong>with</strong> regard <strong>to</strong> bullying prevention.<br />
The cooperation <strong>and</strong> collaboration <strong>of</strong><br />
diverse groups, organizations, <strong>and</strong> individuals<br />
increases OBPI’s opportunities <strong>to</strong><br />
streamline efforts, educate a wider audience,<br />
<strong>and</strong> develop a more comprehensive<br />
bullying prevention plan. Among the<br />
coalition partners are the Oklahoma Parents<br />
Center, the Oklahoma Chiefs <strong>of</strong><br />
Police Association, the Oklahoma Disability<br />
Law Center, <strong>and</strong> the Oklahoma<br />
State Department <strong>of</strong> Education. OBPI<br />
continues <strong>to</strong> identify potential partners<br />
<strong>and</strong> ways <strong>to</strong> involve communities in bullying<br />
prevention.<br />
Raising awareness<br />
Public awareness <strong>and</strong> education are<br />
critical components in bullying prevention.<br />
Until people underst<strong>and</strong> what bullying<br />
is <strong>and</strong> can identify the warning signs,<br />
children’s bullying will continue <strong>to</strong> be<br />
undetected by adults. Once underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
is achieved, however, st<strong>and</strong>ards can be<br />
adopted <strong>to</strong> discourage bullying by, for<br />
example, persuading byst<strong>and</strong>ers not <strong>to</strong><br />
accept such behavior.<br />
OBPI provides resources for schools,<br />
parents, <strong>and</strong> safe school committees <strong>and</strong><br />
hopes <strong>to</strong> serve as a clearinghouse <strong>of</strong> available<br />
resources, such as promoting the<br />
SAFE-CALL hotline provided by the<br />
Oklahoma State Department <strong>of</strong> Education.<br />
Action kits <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong>ol kits for parents,<br />
youths, <strong>and</strong> adults who work <strong>with</strong> youths<br />
are being developed. OBPI is also investigating<br />
the effectiveness <strong>of</strong> safe school<br />
committees in different schools <strong>and</strong> creating<br />
solutions <strong>and</strong> resources <strong>to</strong> improve<br />
committee effectiveness.<br />
<strong>Bullying</strong> prevention is possible. It<br />
requires a commitment from all <strong>of</strong> us <strong>to</strong><br />
create safe environments where children<br />
are protected <strong>and</strong> bullying is not <strong>to</strong>lerated.<br />
Through a combined effort <strong>of</strong> community<br />
leaders, organizations, educa<strong>to</strong>rs, parents,<br />
<strong>and</strong> others, efforts <strong>to</strong> combat bullying<br />
through recognition <strong>and</strong> response will<br />
lead <strong>to</strong> safer schools, less crime, <strong>and</strong> less<br />
violence.<br />
Tina Izadi serves on the board <strong>of</strong> direc<strong>to</strong>rs for<br />
the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law <strong>and</strong><br />
Justice <strong>and</strong> is the project coordina<strong>to</strong>r for the<br />
Oklahoma <strong>Bullying</strong> Prevention Initiative. She<br />
also serves as a staff at<strong>to</strong>rney for the ACLU <strong>of</strong><br />
Oklahoma.<br />
To List or <strong>No</strong>t <strong>to</strong> List?<br />
How specific should an antiharassment policy be?<br />
One community’s search for common ground<br />
By Wayne Jacobsen<br />
done <strong>to</strong>night when 90<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> us agree on a<br />
policy <strong>to</strong> recommend <strong>to</strong> the<br />
“We’re<br />
school board.”<br />
That’s always my “opening line in sensitive<br />
policy negotiations. I usually get a<br />
polite laugh, <strong>and</strong> then it sinks in: He’s<br />
serious.<br />
This time I was <strong>with</strong> 22 people who<br />
had gathered in the late May heat <strong>of</strong> a<br />
central Iowa school board room. For<br />
weeks a proposed antiharassment policy<br />
had been making its way through the<br />
Marshall<strong>to</strong>wn school board’s approval<br />
process, <strong>and</strong> the <strong>to</strong>wn was deeply polarized.<br />
For the first time the term “sexual<br />
orientation” was <strong>to</strong> be included in the list<br />
<strong>of</strong> attributes for which harassment would<br />
not be <strong>to</strong>lerated.<br />
As you might imagine, not everyone<br />
was thrilled <strong>with</strong> the proposal.<br />
Debating the issue<br />
Over weeks <strong>of</strong> heated debate, the controversy<br />
seemed <strong>to</strong> settle on one issue:<br />
Would listing specific groups protected by<br />
the policy do more harm than good? <strong>No</strong><br />
one disagreed <strong>with</strong> the district’s need for a<br />
clear policy <strong>to</strong> provide a harassment-free<br />
environment for all staff <strong>and</strong> students, but<br />
some hoped a simple statement alone<br />
would be sufficient. They wanted all <strong>to</strong><br />
mean all, avoiding the need <strong>to</strong> enumerate<br />
targeted groups.<br />
Certainly some people were uncomfortable<br />
specifying sexual orientation in the<br />
policy. They were concerned it would<br />
m<strong>and</strong>ate the promotion <strong>of</strong> gay pride activities,<br />
which would be an affront <strong>to</strong> their<br />
own beliefs. But many genuinely felt that<br />
such lists only intensify the divisions in<br />
the culture, rather than heal them.<br />
On the other h<strong>and</strong>, those who proposed<br />
the new policy were concerned that<br />
if specific forms <strong>of</strong> harassment were not<br />
listed, the policy would <strong>to</strong>o easily be<br />
ignored. They had been frustrated by past<br />
attempts <strong>to</strong> get the school staff <strong>to</strong> take<br />
seriously the amount <strong>of</strong> teasing, namecalling,<br />
<strong>and</strong> bullying in the district based<br />
on real or perceived sexual orientation.<br />
To list or not <strong>to</strong> list? That was the<br />
question dividing the community. It is the<br />
focus <strong>of</strong> a debate going on in districts<br />
across the country.<br />
False dicho<strong>to</strong>mies<br />
When I was first contacted about helping<br />
the district, I was asked whether I recommended<br />
listing or not listing targeted<br />
forms <strong>of</strong> harassment in such policies.<br />
“Neither,” I answered. “Viewing this<br />
controversy in such narrow terms limits<br />
the possible solutions that could help this<br />
community get through this controversy.”<br />
That’s why I don’t like being pushed<br />
in<strong>to</strong> this kind <strong>of</strong> false dicho<strong>to</strong>my. There is<br />
no one-size-fits-all answer in situations<br />
like this. In truth, such battles <strong>of</strong>ten serve<br />
<strong>to</strong> mask the real issue—namely, whether<br />
we can build enough mutual respect <strong>to</strong><br />
work through difficult issues <strong>with</strong>out one<br />
side feeling its rights are being co-opted by<br />
the other.<br />
I’ve worked <strong>with</strong> many communities on<br />
similar issues, <strong>and</strong> the final language is<br />
never the same from one <strong>to</strong> the next.<br />
Instead <strong>of</strong> imposing solutions, I prefer <strong>to</strong><br />
help a conflicted group <strong>of</strong> people work<br />
<strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong> craft a policy that is fair <strong>to</strong><br />
them. The process is actually more important<br />
than the product.<br />
In Marshall<strong>to</strong>wn, the school board<br />
could have resolved the issue itself <strong>with</strong> a<br />
4-3 vote. Instead, the board sought help<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong>ok my recommendation <strong>to</strong> appoint<br />
an advisory committee representing all the<br />
voices in this debate. The committee’s<br />
charge: <strong>to</strong> have a conversation about their<br />
differences <strong>and</strong> recommend a policy <strong>to</strong> the<br />
board.<br />
After all, what is the value <strong>of</strong> passing an<br />
antiharassment policy by a narrow margin if<br />
it only serves <strong>to</strong> increase the polarization in<br />
the community? Such policies are <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
overturned after the next election, when<br />
those who feel disenfranchised work harder<br />
<strong>to</strong> elect single-issue c<strong>and</strong>idates who can<br />
change or cancel the policy.<br />
Defining the common ground<br />
I spent two evenings <strong>with</strong> the committee,<br />
helping the members hammer out an<br />
agreement that would not divide their<br />
community. In my first couple <strong>of</strong> hours, I<br />
knew the board had appointed the right<br />
August 2006 / LEADERSHIP INSIDER 9
people. They represented a broad spectrum<br />
<strong>of</strong> passionate views, <strong>and</strong> their disagreements<br />
were evident. The two sides<br />
were polarized, each seeking <strong>to</strong> convince<br />
the other that its view was the only reasonable<br />
alternative.<br />
“I was very uncomfortable about coming<br />
in<strong>to</strong> this process <strong>of</strong> ‘listening’ <strong>to</strong> each<br />
other,” recalls committee member Paul<br />
Daniel, a child psychologist. “As the<br />
names were listed in our local newspaper,<br />
it was evident there was an ‘us versus<br />
them’ mentality in the choosing <strong>of</strong> the<br />
names.”<br />
Kathy Black, a district employee <strong>and</strong> a<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the Iowa Civil Rights Commission’s<br />
Team Diversity, adds, “The thought<br />
<strong>of</strong> coming <strong>to</strong> an acceptable consensus <strong>with</strong><br />
so many diverse opinions in such a short<br />
time seemed overwhelming.”<br />
At this point, committee members had<br />
no idea where <strong>to</strong> find their common<br />
ground. They had framed the debate in<br />
either/or terms, <strong>and</strong> the only possible<br />
result was for half the room <strong>to</strong> win <strong>and</strong><br />
half <strong>to</strong> lose. But the art finding common<br />
ground begins by reframing the argument<br />
so people don’t just see what they want for<br />
their own children but think honestly<br />
about what is fair for all children in the<br />
district.<br />
So, after we aired the issue <strong>and</strong> everyone’s<br />
positions, I gave the committee<br />
some brief training on the First Amendment<br />
<strong>and</strong> how it can help us cultivate the<br />
common ground on issues regarding our<br />
political <strong>and</strong> religious differences. Public<br />
schools are a treasure worth sharing, even<br />
<strong>with</strong> people who disagree <strong>with</strong> us. But if<br />
we’re going <strong>to</strong> share the forum, we cannot<br />
insist that public education choose sides<br />
on issues when claims <strong>of</strong> conscience are at<br />
stake.<br />
Instead, we must expect the schools <strong>to</strong><br />
be fair <strong>and</strong> honest brokers <strong>of</strong> a common<br />
good in which all constituencies are<br />
treated fairly. You cannot ask people <strong>to</strong><br />
participate in a public school system they<br />
feel is biased against them. Failing <strong>to</strong><br />
address these perceptions seriously <strong>and</strong><br />
respectfully only exacerbates the animosity<br />
<strong>and</strong> resentment that already divides<br />
our culture.<br />
In defining a common good that transcends<br />
their differences, people begin <strong>to</strong><br />
discover that they can best protect their<br />
own First Amendment rights by protecting<br />
those same rights for others <strong>with</strong> whom<br />
they disagree. Under our First Amendment,<br />
a school is both safe <strong>and</strong> free when<br />
all members <strong>of</strong> the school <strong>and</strong> community<br />
commit <strong>to</strong> addressing their differences<br />
10<br />
LEADERSHIP INSIDER / August 2006<br />
<strong>with</strong> civility <strong>and</strong> respect. A safe school is<br />
free <strong>of</strong> bullying <strong>and</strong> harassment, <strong>and</strong> a free<br />
school is safe for student speech about<br />
issues that divide us.<br />
Working for a common good<br />
The committee’s task was not <strong>to</strong> build<br />
a coalition <strong>of</strong> the like-minded at someone<br />
else’s expense, but <strong>to</strong> be fair <strong>to</strong> the differences<br />
in the room. And the members rose<br />
<strong>to</strong> this challenge. Once they saw that people<br />
<strong>with</strong> whom they disagreed wanted <strong>to</strong><br />
make room for them in this policy, we<br />
were headed downhill.<br />
We worked through the proposed policy<br />
paragraph by paragraph, noting where<br />
there were disagreements <strong>and</strong> working<br />
<strong>to</strong>ward broad consensus. By adding language<br />
that recognized their differences,<br />
affirmed their First Amendment rights,<br />
<strong>and</strong> reflected their newfound mutual<br />
respect, committee members crafted an<br />
antiharassment policy even stronger than<br />
the one that had divided them.<br />
So, did they list or not list? Actually,<br />
both. In the end, the Marshall<strong>to</strong>wn committee<br />
removed the enumerated list from<br />
the paragraph that defined harassment,<br />
emphasizing the word “all.” But the policy<br />
included the list <strong>of</strong> federally protected<br />
groups <strong>and</strong> those specifically targeted in<br />
the district, for which staff <strong>and</strong> students<br />
would receive future training. And yes,<br />
“sexual orientation” was in the list. What’s<br />
more important, the entire committee<br />
affirmed that harassment based on sexual<br />
CYBERSPACE<br />
Continued from page 5<br />
In a 2000 case from Washing<strong>to</strong>n,<br />
Emmett v. Kent School District <strong>No</strong>. 415, a<br />
student’s webpage contained “mock obituaries”<br />
<strong>of</strong> some students <strong>and</strong> a poll soliciting<br />
votes <strong>to</strong> decide who would “die”<br />
next—meaning who should be the next<br />
subject <strong>of</strong> a mock obituary. The webpage<br />
also commented about school administration<br />
<strong>and</strong> faculty, but it included a disclaimer<br />
that the webpage was only for<br />
entertainment purposes. After a TV<br />
news s<strong>to</strong>ry characterized the webpage as<br />
a “hit list,” the student was placed on<br />
“emergency expulsion” (modified <strong>to</strong> a<br />
five-day suspension) for intimidation,<br />
harassment, <strong>and</strong> disruption <strong>of</strong> the educational<br />
process.<br />
Acknowledging the difficulties facing<br />
administra<strong>to</strong>rs in the post-Columbine<br />
environment, the court nonetheless<br />
orientation was a problem the district<br />
could no longer ignore.<br />
The important question is never<br />
whether we should list or not list, but why<br />
we do it, how we do it, <strong>and</strong> where we do<br />
it. The goal is not <strong>to</strong> exacerbate the conflict<br />
but <strong>to</strong> promote a community that is<br />
more committed <strong>to</strong> the common good.<br />
In negotiations like this, I always shoot<br />
for a 90 percent vote, but in truth, I’m<br />
willing <strong>to</strong> accept anything above 80 percent.<br />
In the end, this committee recommended<br />
its new antiharassment policy <strong>to</strong><br />
the school board by a vote <strong>of</strong> 22-0.<br />
“<strong>Coming</strong> out <strong>of</strong> the process,” said<br />
Black, “I felt that the document was as<br />
near as any <strong>of</strong> us could come <strong>to</strong> our individual<br />
wishes, <strong>with</strong>out intruding on the<br />
beliefs or escalating the fears <strong>of</strong> others.”<br />
In fact, every person in that room was<br />
convinced that the policy the committee<br />
ended up <strong>with</strong> was a better policy than<br />
the one originally proposed. And all <strong>of</strong><br />
them left the room <strong>with</strong> a better way <strong>to</strong><br />
h<strong>and</strong>le their differences <strong>and</strong> an abiding<br />
mutual respect that will serve them well in<br />
days <strong>to</strong> come.<br />
In doing so, the Marshall<strong>to</strong>wn community<br />
made its public schools a bit more<br />
public <strong>and</strong> a whole lot safer for all.<br />
Wayne Jacobsen is president <strong>of</strong> BridgeBuilders,<br />
a nonpr<strong>of</strong>it organization that specializes in helping<br />
educa<strong>to</strong>rs, business people, <strong>and</strong> others<br />
work <strong>to</strong>ward common ground on polarizing<br />
issues.<br />
blocked the discipline, which it found<br />
unconstitutional because no evidence was<br />
presented that the website really threatened<br />
anyone or materially <strong>and</strong> substantially<br />
disrupted school operations.<br />
In Mahaffey v. Waterford School District,<br />
a 2002 case from Michigan, a high school<br />
student was suspended for his “Satan’s<br />
web page,” which contained various lists,<br />
including one titled “People I Wish<br />
Would Die.” The website also advocated<br />
rape, murder, drug use, membership in<br />
the Ku Klux Klan, <strong>and</strong> wreaking general<br />
havoc.<br />
The site’s “mission” directed readers <strong>to</strong><br />
“stab someone for no reason <strong>and</strong> set them<br />
on fire <strong>and</strong> throw them <strong>of</strong>f a cliff.”<br />
Although the court agreed that the website<br />
was repugnant, it found the speech<br />
was protected by the First Amendment<br />
because it was not a true threat. Because<br />
no evidence was presented that the website<br />
caused a disruption <strong>to</strong> school, the
court found the student’s suspension<br />
unconstitutional.<br />
That same year, another federal court<br />
in Ohio ruled in Coy v. Board <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>No</strong>rth Can<strong>to</strong>n City Schools, on a<br />
middle school student who created a<br />
website <strong>with</strong> insulting comments about<br />
other students described as “losers.” It<br />
was not clear whether the student’s<br />
resulting suspension was based on his<br />
misuse <strong>of</strong> a school computer or if it<br />
derived from the content <strong>of</strong> his website.<br />
The court ruled that it would be unconstitutional<br />
<strong>to</strong> discipline the student just<br />
because school <strong>of</strong>ficials did not like the<br />
website content.<br />
Off-campus actions<br />
Then in 2003 a U.S. district court in<br />
Pennsylvania considered Flaherty v. Keys<strong>to</strong>ne<br />
Oaks School District, in which a<br />
school disciplined a student who posted<br />
messages described as “trash talking”<br />
about an upcoming volleyball match on<br />
an Internet website message board. The<br />
court found the discipline unconstitutional<br />
because the student’s actions<br />
occurred <strong>of</strong>f campus <strong>and</strong> created no<br />
material or substantial disruption <strong>of</strong> the<br />
school <strong>and</strong> did not interfere <strong>with</strong> the<br />
educational process or the rights <strong>of</strong> other<br />
students.<br />
The cases involving <strong>of</strong>f-campus expressive<br />
activity directed at school <strong>of</strong>ficials, as<br />
opposed <strong>to</strong> other students, generally ask<br />
the same two questions:<br />
1. whether the expression is a true<br />
threat <strong>and</strong> therefore not protected by the<br />
First Amendment; <strong>and</strong><br />
2. whether the expression caused a<br />
material <strong>and</strong> substantial disruption <strong>to</strong><br />
school operations or caused school <strong>of</strong>ficials<br />
<strong>to</strong> believe reasonably that it would do<br />
so.<br />
In Buessink v. Woodl<strong>and</strong> R-IV School<br />
District, a federal court in Missouri in 1998<br />
blocked a student’s 10-day suspension for<br />
his vulgar website. Finding no material<br />
<strong>and</strong> substantial disruption, the court<br />
noted that “disliking or being upset by the<br />
content <strong>of</strong> a student’s speech is not an<br />
acceptable justification for limiting student<br />
speech.”<br />
Substantial disruption<br />
In the 2000 case <strong>of</strong> Beidler v. <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
Thurs<strong>to</strong>n School District <strong>No</strong>. 3, a Washing<strong>to</strong>n<br />
high school student was placed on<br />
emergency suspension <strong>and</strong> recommended<br />
for expulsion for his “appalling <strong>and</strong> inappropriate”<br />
website, which depicted the<br />
assistant principal in unflattering roles,<br />
including a Viagra commercial, a car<strong>to</strong>on<br />
character engaged in sex, <strong>and</strong> a partici-<br />
pant in a Nazi book-burning. Here again,<br />
the state court ruled that the discipline<br />
was unconstitutional because there was no<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> a material <strong>and</strong> substantial disruption<br />
<strong>to</strong> school.<br />
In a 2001 Pennsylvania case, Killion v.<br />
Franklin Regional School District, a high<br />
school student created <strong>and</strong> e-mailed his<br />
friends a deroga<strong>to</strong>ry “Top Ten” list about<br />
the school athletic direc<strong>to</strong>r <strong>and</strong> administration.<br />
The federal court found that the student’s<br />
10-day suspension was unconstitutional<br />
because—you guessed it—the<br />
school had produced no evidence <strong>of</strong> a<br />
material <strong>and</strong> substantial disruption <strong>to</strong><br />
the school. The court commented, “We<br />
cannot accept, <strong>with</strong>out more, that the<br />
childish <strong>and</strong> boorish antics <strong>of</strong> a minor<br />
could impair the administra<strong>to</strong>r’s abilities<br />
<strong>to</strong> discipline students <strong>and</strong> maintain<br />
control.”<br />
In the following year, the Pennsylvania<br />
Supreme Court issued J.S. v. Bethlehem<br />
Area School District, which concerned a<br />
middle school student’s website titled<br />
“Teacher Sux” featuring deroga<strong>to</strong>ry comments<br />
<strong>and</strong> images about teachers <strong>and</strong> the<br />
principal. One pho<strong>to</strong> <strong>of</strong> a teacher’s face,<br />
morphed in<strong>to</strong> Adolf Hitler, was captioned,<br />
“Why Should [the teacher] Die?” An animated<br />
picture displayed the teacher’s head<br />
cut <strong>of</strong>f <strong>with</strong> blood dripping down the<br />
neck.<br />
Although the court found that the<br />
statements were not a “true threat,” in<br />
this case school <strong>of</strong>ficials were able <strong>to</strong><br />
establish that the website interfered <strong>with</strong><br />
the educational process. After viewing the<br />
website, the teacher had suffered from<br />
anxiety, weight loss, <strong>and</strong> stress <strong>and</strong> had <strong>to</strong><br />
take a medical leave <strong>of</strong> absence that prevented<br />
her from completing the school<br />
year.<br />
Finally, in another case from Pennsyl-<br />
vania this year, Layshock v. Hermitage<br />
School District, a high school student<br />
challenged his 10-day suspension for<br />
posting a spo<strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>of</strong> his principal on<br />
MySpace.com (www.myspace.com), a<br />
popular Internet site where users can<br />
share pho<strong>to</strong>s, journals, personal interests,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the like <strong>with</strong> other users. Here<br />
again, school <strong>of</strong>ficials presented evidence<br />
that the student’s actions materially <strong>and</strong><br />
substantially disrupted school operations<br />
<strong>and</strong> interfered <strong>with</strong> the rights <strong>of</strong> others,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the U.S. district court upheld the<br />
discipline.<br />
Plenty <strong>of</strong> options<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> these court decisions, no<br />
doubt, may be frustrating <strong>to</strong> school <strong>of</strong>ficials,<br />
who are left wondering what really<br />
can be done <strong>to</strong> address cyber-bullying <strong>of</strong><br />
students <strong>and</strong> school personnel.<br />
The answer: Plenty. In these cases,<br />
school <strong>of</strong>ficials generally reacted <strong>to</strong> the<br />
situation by imposing discipline that had<br />
constitutional implications, but there are<br />
many other ways <strong>to</strong> address this conduct.<br />
They can confront the student, involve<br />
the student’s parents, notify the Internet<br />
service provider, contact law enforcement,<br />
<strong>and</strong> refer the incident for a threat<br />
assessment.<br />
Still, these decisions make clear that<br />
school <strong>of</strong>ficials who want <strong>to</strong> address<br />
online harassment or bullying through<br />
disciplinary action should carefully consider,<br />
when crafting <strong>and</strong> implementing<br />
policies, whether the student’s conduct<br />
really constitutes a “true threat” or, if not,<br />
whether they are prepared <strong>to</strong> show evidence<br />
<strong>of</strong> the material <strong>and</strong> substantial disruption<br />
<strong>to</strong> the school environment the<br />
conduct caused.<br />
Lisa L. Swem is an at<strong>to</strong>rney <strong>with</strong> the Thrun Law<br />
Firm in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.<br />
MORE PRACTICAL TIPS ON DEALING WITH CYBER-BULLYING<br />
• Make sure your school district’s<br />
computer use policy includes cyberbullying<br />
in the list <strong>of</strong> unacceptable<br />
uses <strong>of</strong> district equipment.<br />
• If your district imposes disciplinary<br />
consequences for <strong>of</strong>f-campus<br />
behavior, notify students <strong>and</strong> parents <strong>of</strong><br />
this fact in your student code <strong>of</strong> conduct<br />
<strong>and</strong> other communications.<br />
• Consider training administra<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
on these issues, including the fact that<br />
courts generally are not impressed by<br />
the mere fact that <strong>of</strong>f-campus website<br />
expression might be <strong>of</strong>fensive or controversial.<br />
• Consult your school at<strong>to</strong>rney on<br />
issues <strong>of</strong> discipline for <strong>of</strong>f-campus conduct,<br />
especially where there might be<br />
free speech issues.<br />
• Consider educational options,<br />
such as teaching students about the<br />
responsibilities that come <strong>with</strong> the<br />
power <strong>of</strong> the Internet <strong>and</strong> teaching<br />
parents about ways <strong>to</strong> make sure they<br />
know what their children are doing<br />
online.<br />
August 2006 / LEADERSHIP INSIDER 11
12<br />
BULLYING<br />
Continued from page 1<br />
erance approach <strong>and</strong> blurring the line<br />
between bullying <strong>and</strong> more serious kinds<br />
<strong>of</strong> harassment.<br />
The examples <strong>of</strong> efforts from around<br />
the country we feature do tend <strong>to</strong> call for<br />
clear definitions <strong>of</strong> harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying<br />
<strong>and</strong> for a comprehensive, instead <strong>of</strong> a<br />
purely disciplinary, approach. On page 8<br />
Tina Izadi, project coordina<strong>to</strong>r for the<br />
Oklahoma <strong>Bullying</strong> Prevention Initiative<br />
describes her state’s requirement that<br />
every public school approach the issue<br />
locally through a safe school committee.<br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong> State Superintendent <strong>of</strong><br />
Schools Nancy Grasmick outlines on page<br />
7 that state’s efforts, which include a<br />
strong emphasis on data collection. On<br />
the same page, a team from Maryl<strong>and</strong>’s<br />
Anne Arundel County Public Schools <strong>and</strong><br />
ONLINE RESOURCES<br />
The documents identified by the contribu<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
<strong>to</strong> this issue <strong>of</strong> Leadership<br />
Insider <strong>and</strong> related resources are available<br />
at the following links. These links<br />
also have been collected online for<br />
NSBA National Affiliate members on<br />
the Leadership Insider page <strong>of</strong> the<br />
National Affiliate website<br />
www.nsba.org/na.<br />
Hut<strong>to</strong>n intro.<br />
CUBE Where We Learn school climate<br />
report:<br />
www.nsba.org/site/docs/38100/3808<br />
1.pdf<br />
Izadi on Oklahoma<br />
Text <strong>of</strong> School <strong>Bullying</strong> Prevention Act:<br />
www.bullypolice.org/ok_law.html<br />
2004 Oklahoma State Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Health report on bullying:<br />
www.health.state.ok.us/program/<br />
injury/RPE/bullyingmanual.pdf”<br />
Croyle overview<br />
EEOC guidelines <strong>and</strong> resources on sexual<br />
harassment:<br />
www.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_<br />
harassment.html<br />
Swem on cyber-bullying<br />
Center for Safe <strong>and</strong> Responsible Internet<br />
Use<br />
LEADERSHIP INSIDER / August 2006<br />
the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for<br />
the Prevention <strong>of</strong> Youth Violence describe<br />
their innovative use <strong>of</strong> the Internet <strong>to</strong> get<br />
a h<strong>and</strong>le on the problem.<br />
The Massachusetts Safe Schools Initiative,<br />
described on page 6 by Assistant<br />
At<strong>to</strong>rney General Richard W. Cole, avoids<br />
state m<strong>and</strong>ates al<strong>to</strong>gether. Rather, the<br />
at<strong>to</strong>rney general’s <strong>of</strong>fice provides information<br />
<strong>and</strong> sample guidance for local school<br />
districts <strong>to</strong> consider <strong>and</strong> has launched a<br />
pilot program in which districts can apply<br />
<strong>to</strong> participate.<br />
One thorny controversy for school<br />
boards is how <strong>to</strong> address harassment <strong>and</strong><br />
bullying based on sexual orientation, real<br />
or perceived. This variety, some observers<br />
say—<strong>and</strong> lawsuits attest—is pervasive in<br />
schools <strong>and</strong> can be particularly vicious.<br />
But are deliberately confrontational<br />
statements <strong>of</strong> religious objections <strong>to</strong><br />
homosexuality a form <strong>of</strong> harassment or<br />
www.cyberbullying.com<br />
Stein on zero <strong>to</strong>lerance<br />
Interview <strong>with</strong> Nan Stein on antibullying:<br />
www.dodea.edu/dodsafeschools/<br />
members/seminar/Anti-bullying/featured<br />
<strong>to</strong>pic.html<br />
Cole on Massachusetts<br />
Massachusetts Safe Schools Initiative:<br />
www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid<br />
=2082<br />
Sample Civil Rights policy developed<br />
<strong>with</strong> Massachusetts Association <strong>of</strong><br />
School Committees:<br />
www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid<br />
=2087<br />
Information on Safe Schools Initiative<br />
pilot project:<br />
www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid<br />
=2147<br />
Grasmick on Maryl<strong>and</strong><br />
2006 Safe Schools Reporting Act<br />
report:<br />
www.maryl<strong>and</strong>publicschools.org/NR/<br />
rdonlyres/0700B064-C2B3-41FC-A6CF<br />
-D3DAE4969707/9382/<strong>Bullying</strong>Reportfor<br />
GA200631106.doc<br />
Report on <strong>Bullying</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Harassment</strong> in<br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong> Public Schools:<br />
www.maryl<strong>and</strong>publicschools.org/NR/<br />
rdonlyres/0700B064-C2B3-41FC-A6CF<br />
constitutionally protected speech? And<br />
should the district’s antiharassment policy<br />
specify sexual orientation as a protected<br />
category like race or religion? Wayne<br />
Jacobsen <strong>of</strong> BridgeBuilders recounts on<br />
page 9 how the school board in Marshall<strong>to</strong>wn,<br />
Iowa, put in place a process that,<br />
<strong>with</strong> his help, succeeded in reaching common<br />
ground on this kind <strong>of</strong> divisive issue.<br />
Jacobsen’s success s<strong>to</strong>ry highlights an<br />
important insight about effective education<br />
policy, albeit one that seems not <strong>to</strong> be<br />
in vogue lately among many policymakers.<br />
Even when it comes <strong>to</strong> meeting challenges<br />
as legally intensive as harassment <strong>and</strong> bullying,<br />
good lawyering <strong>and</strong> legal oversight<br />
are, at best, only part <strong>of</strong> the equation.<br />
Real success requires decision making,<br />
leadership, <strong>and</strong> the hard work <strong>of</strong> engagement<br />
at the local level.<br />
Thomas Hut<strong>to</strong>n is an NSBA staff at<strong>to</strong>rney.<br />
-D3DAE4969707/8600/BHSummary.pdf<br />
Bradshaw et al. on Anne<br />
Arundel County<br />
Anne Arundel County Public Schools<br />
website:<br />
www.aacps.org/<br />
Anne Arundel County announcement <strong>to</strong><br />
parents <strong>of</strong> bullying survey:<br />
www.aacps.org/html/press/bully<br />
survey.asp<br />
Anne Arundel County student safety<br />
hotline information:<br />
www.aacps.org/html/press/save.asp<br />
Anne Arundel County harassment or<br />
intimidation (bullying) reporting form:<br />
www.aacps.org/html/press/bully.asp<br />
Jacobsen on common ground<br />
Marshall<strong>to</strong>wn Community School District<br />
website:<br />
www.marshall<strong>to</strong>wn.k12.ia.us/board/<br />
index.html<br />
Marshall<strong>to</strong>wn advisory committee’s proposed<br />
policy:<br />
www.nsba.org/site/view.asp?cid=185<br />
9&did=38747<br />
A consensus First Amendment framework<br />
facilitated in part by Jacobsen for<br />
h<strong>and</strong>ling public school controversies<br />
over sexual orientation:<br />
www.firstamendmentcenter.org/<br />
pdf/sexual.orientation.guidelines.pdf